Viewing entries tagged with 'SoilMate'

In keeping SoilMate aligned with scientific and industry standards it has been decided to align the reporting units for the major cations (calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium and aluminium) and effective cation exchange capacity (eCEC) with the standard units used by the research community for a number of years. This will see the universally used milliequivalent/100 g (meq/100g) replaced by the cmol(+)/kg. Fortunately this replacement is in name only and the critical levels that you may remember will remain unchanged as 1 meq/100g = 1 cmol(+)/kg as will the calculation of exchangeable cation percentages.

Back Paddock is pleased to announce the release of SoilMate ver.6.0The latest version, 6.0, of SoilMate is now easier and quicker to use. Back Paddock has made the program more intuitive and therefore quicker. The models that are used in SoilMate have been updated with the latest research information giving you confidence that the results from the models are meaningful.

Potatoes store better and are less subject to bacterial soft rot when the peel of the potato contains sufficient calcium. In trials it has been found that there is a correlation between a reduction in bacterial soft rot and an increase of calcium in the peel of a potato tuber.

Soil acidity is a natural consequence of highly productive food production systems. Soil acidification was recognised, written about and treated with liming materials in Roman times. The need for liming is not necessarily pointer to poor farming practice, more likely these days an indicator of a high soil productivity.

SoilMate® user queries on appropriate lime and gypsum products, amendment mixes and specific rates prompted Back Paddock to develop a soil amendment module that makes it easier to make decisions about the most appropriate soil amendment and its application rate